Delivery apparatus



Feb. 18, 1930. c. J. AuLsoN ET AL 1,747,387

" DELIVERY APPARATUS Filed Sept. 29. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 18, 1930. c. J. PAuLsoN ETAL DELIVERY APPARATUS Filed Sept. 29. 1927 INVENTORS ATTORNEY.

a fi M H. I WV 1 i Feb. 18, 1930.

DELIVERY APPARATUS Filed Sept. 29. 1927 C. J. PAULSON ET AL BY I ATTORNEY 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 18, 1930.

- v c. J. PAULSON- ET AL DELIVERY APPARATUS Filed Se t. 29. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 m-nEizrEccu v f INVENTOR. J A

. Patented Feb. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE CHARLES a. PA'ULSON' Ann MAX L. WEISS, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS T news LAMSON, mus'rnn, or new Yoax, 1:. Y.

DELIVERY APIIE'ARATUS Application filed September 29, 1927. Serial No. 222,820.

This invention relates to delivery mechanism for vending machines and our improvements are directed to means whereby articles froma stack thereof contained in acasing are delivered by positively acting pusher means, from the top'of-the stack to thereby avoid the liability of damaging more or less fragile articles or their packages as is likely to be the case when a bottom article is removed against the weight of a superimposed stack.

Further our invention includes a stack carrying carriage and cable actuating means for raising said carriage in step-by-step movements to bring topmost articles into delivery position.

Still further our invention includes means, adjustable to suit articles of different thicknes s, for guarding the delivery exit, thereby preventing unwarranted abstraction of the articles. T I

Still further our invention-includes means for adjusting the guide walls for the stack of articles, enabling said guide walls to oo- In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a partial sideelevation of our 7 improved articledelivery machine, this view illustrating the position of the mechanism after an article has been delivered.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, partly in section on the line 2 -2 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1, but showing the position of the mechanism just prior to an article delivery operation.

, Fig. 4 is a front elevation of Fig. 3, partly 4.0 in section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the machine.

Fig. 6 is a partial side sectional view, showing the carriage and the pusher delivery means. I

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the drumand operate with stacks of varying widths and' features and advantages bf our inits operating mechanism in one position thereof.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the drum and 1 its operating mechanism in another position thereof. a F 9 is a side'sectional elevation of the casing showing the adjustable rear and side guide walls, and I Fig. 10 isa front elevation thereof.

In the drawings let 1 indicate a rectangular casing which is adapted to contain a stack of articles to be vended and to support the actuating mechanism, said casing having the front wall 1, rear Wall 1 and side walls 1 and 1 The casing is intended to be enclosed within a suitable cabinet (not herein illustrated) Slidably fitted within the casing is a carr age upon which is imposed a stack of arholes to be vended. Said carriage is here shown as composed of a front plate 2 and a pair of brackets 3, extended rearwardly therefrom, said brackets being in spaced relation for a purpose to be referred to hereinafter. The front wall 1 of casingl is provided with'a vertical slot 4 that serves as visual indicating means for noting the height of the stack within the casing. Also the slot permits a guide bar 5, forming part of plate 2, to be slidable against the outer surface of tuting a frame, brackets 13 14 secured to the the casing front, the slot edges thus constitutfront 'WElll 1 of casing 1, serving as the supporting means for said frame.

An operating spindle 15, provided with a handle" (not shown) is journalled in the plates 10, 11 said spindle in its rotation actuating mechanism for the positive delivery of an article from the top of the stack, and also actuating other, associated mechanism,

' that gives the drum 8 a partial turn, thereby 10 winding thereon a predetermined length of cable whereby the carriage is raised asufficient extent to present a succeeding topmost article'in delivery, position.

Spindle has a crank 16 attached to its '1 inner end, said crank being provided with a wrist pin 17 that is free to ride in a horizontal slot 18 formed in a horizontally disposed member 19, forming part of a yoke that has a pair of oppositely disposed L-shaped levers extended therefrom. The levers each consist of a relatively short arm 20. that connects with member. 19, and extends rearwardly therefrom, .passing into the casing through a slot 21, and a relatively long arm 22 that extends upwardly Within the casing. These levers which operate the article delivery means arelocated respectively near the opposite side walls 1, 1 of the casing intermediate said walls and the contained stack of vendible articles. The levers are so angled that the upper ends of their arms 22 will be inclined toward the rear wallof the casing when the crank is at its upper dead centre, (see Figs.

3, 4 and 6) sa'idlevers-then, as will present- 36 appear, being in position to begin their unction of delivering an article; and said upper ends will be inclined toward the front wall of the casing when the crankis at its lower. dead centre, with. the delivery stroke of said levers completed, (see Figs. 1 and 2).

Thus, as will be apparent, a throw of the crank through 180 performs the operation of moving the levers from front to back and return to front. Before proceeding to further describe the vending mechanism it will be well-to say that the device is intended to contain a stack of articles which may be in the form of packages of uniform size, the stack being imposed upon the carriage, which is to be lowered within the casing to such a point thatthe topmost article will lie partly below a front retaining wall that is adjustable in height, and normal 1y restrains said package from-delivery or abstraction, the operation of-the machine, as

: .will appear hereinafter, causing the carriage to elevate such topmost article just above the retaining wall, for delivery while-continuing to restrain delivery and abstraction of succeedingarticles.

Secured to the rear wall 1 of the casing, near its upper end, is a bracket 23, and pivoted to said bracket is a forwardly projecting top frame composed of the side arms 24, 24, which are in spaced relation, a bar 25 connecting said arms at their forward ends, said bar 25 thus lying across the casing interior toward its-front. The arms 24, 24: have a rear connecting member 26, and a central-bar 27 is extended between and connected with the front bar 25 and rear member 26. Said central bar 27 is intended'by us to lie upon the top of the stack of articles, so-that said stack will be contained between the carriage and said bar. When astack of articles is thus positioned the top frame is tensionally engaged therewith by means of a Vertical bar 28 slotted and slidable over guide studs 29 secured to the casing front, said bar 28 having a catch 29 at its upper end adapted to releasably engage the end 30 of the top frame arm 24. The bar 28 hasan angular offset 31 at its lower end, said ofi'set being pro-- vided with a horizontal slot 32 that engages a stud 33 upon a rocker arm 34 which is pivotally mounted upon the drum shaft 9, the purpose of which rocker arm will appear later in the description. But the bar .28 is tensioned V by a spring 35, connecting itto the casing, and it is under this tension that the said bar 28 holds the top frame upon the stack of articles.

The article delivering means employed by us in this organism comprises a bridge like device having the transverse bar 36 with end legs 37, 37 that are respectively slidably connected with the top frame arms 24, 24, being adapted to slide lengthwise thereof. Secured to bar 36 and pendent therefrom is a support 38, to .which is loosely engaged, as by bolts 39, an L-shaped presser member 40, whose free flange serves as a shoe to bear upon the topmost article in the stack, saidshoe being bifurcated to provide an intermediate clear- I It is intended that the extent of the travel back and forth of the bridge like device, carrying the shoe 40, shall exceed the fore and aft length of the articles, in order that the shoe in its rearward movement may clear the surface of the topmost article and be sprung downwardly at the rear thereof (see Fig. 3). In consequence, when'thebridge like device is moved forwardly the shoe 40, then being behind the topmost article, will positively force said article forwardly for delivery outside the casing.

The shoe L0, being extended normally in a downwardly forward inclination, will then again be in a position to slide over the upper surface of the next succeeding topmost article positioning of succeeding articles is of course a function of the carriage movement, which, as will appear, is of a step-by-step character, and is accomplished by these means.

Wrist pin 17 has pivoted thereon a pitman 45, whose other end pivotally engages a rock arm 46 that is mounted on the drum shaft 9, said arm 46 carrying a pivotal pawl 47 that is located in a position adapting it to engage teeth 48 provided on the periphery of a disk or flange 49 upon the drum 8, but said pawl is held by a spring 50 normally spaced from teeth 48 (see Fig. 8) so that the arm 46 may rock without its pawl engaging said teethand I hence withoutrotating the drum.

Since it is necessary that the drum should rotate during a portion of the crank movement in order that a suflicient length of cable may be wound thereon to draw the carriage upwardly, to present a topmost article-for delivery, we provide means whereby, during such portion of the crank throw, the pawl 47 is caused to engage teeth 48 and thus to rotate the drum.

For this purpose the arm 34 which is mounted on drum shaft 9, and .pivotally engaged with bar 28, as at 32, has formed thereon a cam 53 which is moved thereby into position to co-act with pawl 47 during the rearward travel of the arms 22 and the bridge like member, the cam pressing the pawl into engagement with teeth 48 whereby the drum rotates in its cable winding and carriage lifting operation. It will be understood that spring 35, that retracts bar 28, serves also to restore cam arm 34 to the position at which the cam becomes inoperative as soon as the thus lifted topmost article has reached its elevated position for delivery.

It will also be understood that bar 28, having its catch 29 engaged with the top frame, causes the cam 53 to co-act with pawl 47 by reason of the pin and slot connection between bar- 28 and rock arm 34, as said bar 28 is raised in the rearward movement of lever arms 22, and that thereby the pawl 47 is caused to ive a partial turn to the drum enabling sai drum to wind a given length of cable thereon.

1 The diagram of Fig. 7 illustrates the posi- 1 tion of the elements when the crank is at its bottom dead centre and the pawl 47 is free from the teeth 46, and the diagram of Fig. 8 shows'in dotted lines the crank at the top of its dead centre with the pawl pressed by the cam into operative engagement with teeth 46. Drum 8, which rotates counter-clockwise to wind the cable thereon, is provided with an internal spring 54, .to tension the cable.

A front retaining wall. has been referred to as preventing abstraction of a topmost article. Said wall is provided in the'form of a vertically disposed plate 55 having a top, forwardly inclined delivery shelf 56, said plate having slots 58 with notches 59 on one side thereof that adjustably engage studs 57 on a bar 58' thatis placed across the front of the casing and secured thereto. Plate .55, which is vertically' adjustable, has its top edge located above the base line of a topmost article (indicated at A in Fig. 1) before the carriage has been elevated to carry such article above said plate, for delivery, so that while the machine is inactive, said topmost article cannot be abstracted. 1 In the example shown the vendible articles have a certain thickness, to which the operative mechanism isgadjusted, so that the step by step movements of the carriage will bring succeeding articles singly into the same position as that shown at A. i

But when the thickness of the articles in the stack is greater or less than that here shown, then the front guard plate 55 requires slidable through guide means 61 carried by bar 58, said rod having a hump 62 that presses against the edge of plate 55 and frictionally binds it in its engaged position when the rod 60 has been shifted tothe position shown in Fig. 2.

Said rod 60, which has an operating handle 63 and a bottom angled portion 64, is adapted by said portion 64 to engage under the carriage for the purpose of manually drawing the carriage upwardly to bring the topmost articleinitially into the adjusted position shown in Fig. 1, after a new stack of articles has been placed in the machine. I

The height of the stack, or rather the height to which the topmost article extends above the guard plate 55, serves through the intermediary ofbar 28 to regulate the degree of movement imparted to rock arm 34 and hence automatically regulates the distance to he travelled by cam 53 before it co-acts with pawl 47. Thus, if the packages'are thick bar 28 will'be lifted a certain height in.

order to engage the top frame, because said top frame will be-raised proportionately by the topmost package. But if the packages are thin the topmost package will project a relatively short distance above the guard plate, the bar 28 will be raised to a less degree,

and the rock bar 34 will move cam 53 through a smaller are. In consequence a smaller extent of the, crank, t ow will be utilized in riage step-by-step ,movement will be only turning the drum with the result that the carsufiicient to bring the relatively thin topmost package into delivery position.

A pawl 65, pivoted at '66 to plate is "adapted to engage the teeth 48, to hold the sitioned rod 68 that extends up through a fixed guide 69 and has an operating handle 70, said rod being pivotally connected to pawl 65 as at 71, so that upon lifting said rod the pawl will be released for the purpose indicated. The rod 68 has a catch'68' adapted to engage with a projection 29" on catch 29 to hold the pawl 65 disengaged from teeth 48.

The articles to be delivered by our improved vending'machine may vary in their width and length as well as in their thickness because the organism .which we have provided includes side and rear'guide means that are adjustable to suit packages of varying widths For this purpose we have shown in Figs. 9 and 10 a rear guide wall and lengths.

' composed of the members 72 and 7 3, whereof ries a screw '75.

the member 72 extends down to the base of casing land at its u per end hasa rearwardly turned flange 4that revolubly carstuds 76 that work in vertical slots 77 in member 73, thereby holdingnsaid member 73 in slidable relation upon member 72. Member 73 also has a rearwardly turned flange 78 at its upper end, in'spaced relation below flange 74', the flange 78 being threaded to receive screw 75. Member 73 is connected to the back wall 1 of the casing by angularly disposed links 79 that are pivoted at 80 to member 7 3' and at 81 to wall 1". The result of this vertically slidable arrangement of the members 72 and .7 3,-and their linkage with the casing is that upon turning screw 7 5 the rear-guide wall will be shifted forwardly or rearwardly to accommodate packages of adesired length.

The guide walls at the sides of the packages, here represented generally by the reference number 82, and provided with linkage means-83, correspond in character with the adjustable rear guide wall, and serve to adjust the width of the space tobe occupied by the stack of articles. The spring actuated pawl 84 which engages gear 85 carried by spindle 15 rides over the teeth of said gear to permit the clockwise rotation of said spindle, but prevents anticlockwise rotation thereof.

Variations within the spirit and scope of our invention are equally comprehended in the foregoing disclosure.

We claim j 1. Delivery mechanism Said member 72 also carries comprising con-.

taining means for a stack of articles, avertically movable carriage for-said stack, a drum shaft, a drum revoluble thereon, a ratchet on said drum, a rock arm mounted on said drum shaft,'a pawl upon said rock arm adapted for engagement with said ratchet, means to hold said pawl normally disengaged from said ratchet, a cable connecting said carriage and drum, an operating spindle disposed in parallel relation to said drum shaft,.a crankcanrie'd thereby, a second rocker arm mounted on said drum shaft, a cam u'ponsaid rocker arm adapted to co-act with said pawl, a pitman connecting said crank and pawl carrying rock arm, and means operable to hold said cam carrying rocker arm in a position at which the cam ur es thepawlcinto engagement with the rate et for the rotation of the' drum and the winding thereon of a length of cable during a portion of the; crank throw.

, 2. Delivery -mechanism comprising containing means for a stack of articles, a vertically movable supporting carriage for said stack, a pivotal top frame,'a tensionally held bar releasably bearing upon the topmost article of said stack,-.forwardguard means to prevent abstraction of said topmost article, means controlled by said bat for raising said carriage to bring said topmost article just above said guard means, and means slidable upon said top frame to push said topmost ar-v ticle off the stack.

3. The combination, in a delivery apparatus containing a stack of articles, of adjustable guide walls for said stack, said walls each composed of members in vertically slidable relation, one member of each wall being linked to the apparatus, and means for imparting relative vertical movement to said .members to thereby adjust the positions of said guide walls with relation to the stack.

4.- Delivery mechanism comprising containing means for a stack of articles, a vertically movable carriage operatively' connected therewith for supporting said stack, de-

livering means to engage a topmost article to pushthe same OK the stack, means for raising said carriage and thereby bringing a topmostarticle into position for delivery and means whereby the thickness of the articles in the containing means determines the amount of advancement of said'carriagef' 5. Delivery mechanism comprising containing means for a stack of articles, a vertically movable carriage operatively connected therewith for supporting said stack, av top frame pivotally connected to said containing means and normally resting on the top of-said stack, means slidable upon said top frame and adapted to push a topmost article off the stack, said delivery mechanism vincluding i f means whereby the thickness of the articles in the containing means determines the amount of advancement of said carriage.

6. Dehvery' mechanism compr sing contion for delivery and means including a ten taining means for a stack of articles, a vertically movable carriage operatively connected therewith for supporting said stack, a top frame pivotally connected to said containing means, means slidable upon said top frame and adapted to push a topmost article off the stack, means for raising said carriage and thereby bringing a topmost article into posisionally held bar releasably bearing upon the top frame whereby the thickness of the articles in the containing means determines the amount of advancement of said carriage.

New York, September 28th, 1927. CHARLES J. PAULSON. MAX L. WEISS. 

